# Visa renewal in Japan: when to apply, new fees and the online system URL: https://japanhow.com/visa/visas/visa-renewal-japan/ Author: japanhow editors Updated: Oct 20, 2026 ## Summary As of October 2026, you renew your period of stay in Japan (在留期間更新) at your regional immigration office or online, from 3 months before your card expires. Fees rose on October 1, 2026 and now depend on the period you are granted: at the counter ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years and ¥75,000 for 5 years; online ¥27,000, ¥56,000 and ¥65,000 plus a payment fee. If you apply in time, you can stay until the decision or 2 months after expiry. ## Key facts - When to apply: From 3 months before expiry - Counter fee, 1 year: ¥33,000 - Counter fee, 3 years: ¥64,000 - Standard processing: 2 weeks to 1 month For a visa renewal in Japan, you apply for an **extension of period of stay** (在留期間更新許可申請) at your regional immigration office or online, **from 3 months before your residence card (在留カード)'s expiry date**. Fees rose on October 1, 2026 and now depend on how long you are granted: at the counter **¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years and ¥75,000 for 5 years**. Online is cheaper. This is the position as of October 2026, from the Immigration Services Agency (出入国在留管理庁, ISA). **Informational only:** This guide explains ISA's published procedure. It is not advice on your case. If you changed jobs, divorced, had unpaid tax or spent long periods abroad, ask your regional immigration office or the ISA information center (0570-013904), and consider a certified administrative scrivener (行政書士). ## When can you apply to renew your visa? If your period of stay is **6 months or more**, you can apply from **3 months before it ends**. You must apply **on or before the expiry date**. Check the date on the front of your residence card. ISA may accept an application earlier than 3 months in genuine special cases, for example: - you are going abroad to study, or on a long overseas assignment ordered by your employer - you are pregnant and the birth falls in the application window - you will be in hospital for treatment - family members are applying together - a foreign visa you need requires 6+ months left on your Japanese stay Contact the office first and bring proof. ## How much does visa renewal cost from October 2026? The fee depends on the period of stay you are **granted**, not the one you ask for. Applications received by September 30, 2026 pay the old fee (¥6,000 at the counter, ¥5,500 online), even if approved later. | Period granted | Counter (revenue stamps) | Online (plus payment fee) | |---|---|---| | 3 months or less | ¥10,000 | ¥10,000 + ¥330 | | Over 3 to 6 months | ¥18,000 | ¥15,000 + ¥330 | | Over 6 months, under 1 year | ¥25,000 | ¥21,000 + ¥330 | | 1 year | ¥33,000 | ¥27,000 + ¥330 | | Over 1 year, under 3 years | ¥48,000 | ¥42,000 + ¥330 | | 3 years to under 5 years | ¥64,000 | ¥56,000 + ¥550 | | 5 years or more | ¥75,000 | ¥65,000 + ¥550 | Source: ISA fee pages, as of October 2026. At the counter you pay with **revenue stamps (収入印紙)** stuck on a fee form. Online, you pay by **convenience store or bank payment** only. ISA does not accept credit cards or QR payments for online fees. A reduced fee of ¥10,000 exists for people in serious financial hardship or needing humanitarian consideration. You need proof and must apply at the counter. **Watch for fake payment emails:** ISA's payment emails come only from **@service-dgft.com**, with confirmations from **@veritrans.jp**. ISA says any other email asking you to pay a residence fee is a scam. ## What documents do you need? The list depends on your status of residence (在留資格). ISA's renewal page links to a list for each status. Almost everyone needs: - the renewal application form (在留期間更新許可申請書) - one photo meeting ISA's size rules. Since June 14, 2026, photos are needed for everyone aged 1 and over - passport and residence card, shown at the counter - status-specific proof, such as your Japanese spouse's family register (戸籍謄本) for a spouse visa - for some statuses, such as a spouse visa, resident tax certificates (課税証明書 and 納税証明書) from your city office Certificates issued in Japan must be **dated within 3 months**. Documents in other languages need a Japanese translation. At the counter, ISA also asks to see proof of health insurance. Since paper health insurance cards ended on December 2, 2024, you can show the My Portal screen, the 資格情報のお知らせ notice or a 資格確認書. ISA says not showing it does not by itself lead to refusal. ## What does immigration check? ISA's renewal guideline lists the main factors: - you actually did the activities of your status (for example, you worked in the job your visa covers) - good conduct - enough income or assets to live on, judged by household - proper employment conditions - **taxes and national health insurance paid**: serious or long unpaid amounts count against you - Immigration Act notifications filed, such as a change of employer or address - no long absences abroad without good reason Since June 2026 the guideline notes that ISA may use payment information from other agencies. ## How do you renew your visa online? The **Online Residence Application System (在留申請オンラインシステム)** lets most mid- to long-term residents aged 15 or over apply themselves. Employers, lawyers and 行政書士 can also apply for you. ISA publishes an English user manual for individuals. A new version of the system started on January 5, 2026. Two limits matter: - You **can't apply online on the last day** of your period of stay. Go to the counter instead. - If you applied online yourself, extend your **My Number card (マイナンバーカード)'s** validity before your stay expires. If you enter the special period without doing this, you can no longer send documents through the online system. ## Step by step If an employer, lawyer or 行政書士 submits for you, you don't need to appear in person, but **you must be in Japan**. Busy work is not accepted as a reason for a relative to apply for you. ## Can you stay in Japan while your renewal is pending? **Special period (特例期間):** Up to 2 months after expiry (If you applied before expiry and no decision has been made, you can stay and continue your activities until the decision or 2 months after the expiry date, whichever is earlier.) For counter applications, immigration stamps the back of your residence card to show an application is pending. Online applications don't get this stamp. ISA lists no administrative appeal against a refusal. ## Related guides If you have been in Japan for years, you may be close to qualifying for [permanent residency (永住)](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-japan-requirements/), which ends renewals. Married to a Japanese national? See our [spouse visa guide](/visa/visas/spouse-visa-japan/). Banks and money transfer services also record your residence card's expiry date, so update them after you renew: see our guides to [bank accounts](/money/banking/bank-account-for-foreigners-japan/) and [sending money from Japan](/money/remittance/send-money-from-japan/). More guides: [permanent residency vs naturalization (帰化)](/visa/residency/permanent-residency-vs-naturalization/), [Japanese naturalization process](/visa/naturalization/naturalization-japan-process/). ## Questions people ask ### How much is the visa renewal fee in Japan in 2026? For applications received from October 1, 2026, it depends on the period you are granted. At the counter it is ¥33,000 for 1 year, ¥64,000 for 3 years and ¥75,000 for 5 years or more. Online it is ¥27,000, ¥56,000 and ¥65,000, plus a payment fee of ¥330 or ¥550. ### When can I apply to renew my visa in Japan? From 3 months before your period of stay ends, if you were granted 6 months or more. You must apply by the expiry date. Earlier applications are accepted only for special reasons, such as a long overseas assignment or childbirth. ### Can I stay in Japan if my visa expires while my renewal is pending? Yes, if you applied before it expired. Under the special period (特例期間) you can stay and keep working until the decision or until 2 months after the expiry date, whichever comes first. ### Can I renew my visa online in Japan? Yes. Most mid- to long-term residents aged 15 or over can use the Online Residence Application System (在留申請オンラインシステム) themselves. You can't apply online on the last day of your period of stay, and online fees are paid by convenience store or bank transfer, not by card. ### Why is the visa renewal fee different for each person? Since October 1, 2026 the fee follows the period of stay granted, not the application. A 1-year renewal costs less than a 5-year one. Online, the amount appears in the payment email ISA sends after its review. ## Sources - [在留期間更新許可申請 (Extension of period of stay)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-3.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [Online application fees and payment from October 1, 2026](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00107.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [在留申請のオンライン手続 (Online residence applications)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/online/onlineshinsei.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [My Number card status and the online system (from January 2026)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/11_00068.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [特例期間とは？ (Special period)](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/tokureikikan_00001.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [在留資格の変更、在留期間の更新許可のガイドライン](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/resources/nyuukokukanri07_00058.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [在留資格「日本人の配偶者等」: renewal documents](https://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/status/spouseorchildofjapanese01.html), Immigration Services Agency of Japan (accessed Oct 20, 2026) - [出入国管理及び難民認定法](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/326CO0000000319), e-Gov (Digital Agency) (accessed Oct 20, 2026)